Things to Do in Peninsula, Ohio

The nonprofit railroad runs vintage trains through Ohio’s only national park, and Peninsula Depot is one of its main boarding stations. The red depot is the only original train station left in the valley. It started life as the Boston Mill Depot and was moved two miles here in 1968.

★ Good to know Scenic rides run most of the year, with fall color trips and holiday trains later in the season, so check the CVSR calendar and book ahead.

The Towpath follows the old canal for about 20 miles through the national park, and it passes right through the village at the Lock 29 area. It’s flat and popular with cyclists, walkers and runners. The Cuyahoga River Water Trail also has an access point at Lock 29.

★ Good to know Use the railroad’s Explorer program, formerly Bike Aboard, to ride the trail one way and flag down the train back; you pay on board, and it runs Wednesday through Sunday in summer.

Brandywine Creek drops 60 feet over a cap of Berea Sandstone, fanning out over soft shale in a bridal-veil pattern. A boardwalk with stairs takes you into the gorge for a head-on view, and a no-stairs option is available. The 1.5-mile Brandywine Gorge Loop follows the rim down to creek level.

★ Good to know It’s the park’s most popular spot and the lot is usually full from 10am to 4pm in good weather. Come early or late, or hike about 5 miles round trip from Boston Mill Visitor Center.

A 1.8-mile trail circles the Ritchie Ledges, cliffs of Sharon Conglomerate formed about 315 to 320 million years ago. The area was once industrialist Hayward Kendall’s Virginia Kendall Park, and Civilian Conservation Corps crews built shelters here in the 1930s. The Ledges Overlook is a favorite place to watch the sunset over the valley.

★ Good to know The trail isn’t accessible for visitors with mobility impairments. The Haskell Run Trail nearby is best for wildflowers in April and May.

Just north of the village, the park’s main visitor center fills a rehabilitated 1905 company store. Rangers help plan your day, and exhibits cover the building and the cleanup of the Cuyahoga River and its valley. You can pick up maps, passport stamps and the park newspaper, The Valley Guide.

★ Good to know It’s open daily from 9:30am to 5pm March through December, with shorter hours in January and February.

Ohio once had more than 2,000 covered bridges, and this is the only one left in Summit County. A spring storm destroyed the original in 1975, and a historically accurate rebuild was finished in 1986. The 1.9-mile Furnace Run Trail nearby is known for spring wildflowers.

★ Good to know The bridge is a short walk from the trailhead lot on Everett Road, and horse riders share some nearby trails.

These two ski areas inside the national park are among the few places to ski in Ohio. They have gentle beginner terrain, lessons, rentals and the Polar Blast snow tubing hill.

★ Good to know The resort holds a fall festival and ski swap before the season starts, so check its site if you’re visiting in October.